# Who makes a good Meerschaum pipe?



## Royale Duke (Aug 14, 2009)

Just curious, as I would like to own a meer or two eventually so I'd like an idea as to who makes a good quality product. I saw a beautiful, fairly large CAO beckler straight billiard Meerschaum in one of my local pipe shops(Barlow's) here in Colorado for $150. It was a very nice pipe.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

IMP. They have a unique push-style tenon and excellent drilling. Problematic screw in tenons and sub-par drilling are pretty common on too many otherwise beautiful meers; they're all styling and little engineering. IMP supposedly is very reliably engineered.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

*Baki*


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## hunter1127 (Jan 11, 2006)

Agree w/ Baki and IMP..


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Recent "thing to look out for" discussion:

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...522-problem-meerschaum-pipes-myth-legend.html


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Royale Duke said:


> Just curious, as I would like to own a meer or two eventually so I'd like an idea as to who makes a good quality product. I saw a beautiful, fairly large CAO beckler straight billiard Meerschaum in one of my local pipe shops(Barlow's) here in Colorado for $150. It was a very nice pipe.


Test the pipe for proper draw before you buy. If it's a straight pipe, you should be able to run a fluffy pipe cleaner (the thicker ones) straight through from mouthpiece opening to bowl. If you can do that, it should draw properly. Also, make sure the draft hole inside the bowl is drilled properly (hole is at the bottom center). Delrin tenon is much preferred to the screw-type connector.

I have quite a few very nice meers. The Bakis are the most consistent, followed by IMP (reasonably consistent). I bought an Ekrem from one of our members, IKMeerschaum, and it's excellent. I've owned CAOs, SMS's and other makes and they are a crapshoot. But if you do the tests above and the pipe passes, you've just put the odds well in your favor. Quite frankly, if it doesn't pass those and you are blown away by the carving, you have a visual showpiece and not much else.


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